ENDORSEMENTS; Using the Carter Connection

By MICHAEL COOPER

Published: August 28, 2007

First, there was all the familiar talk about ''energy efficiency'' on the campaign trail. Now, it seems endorsements from people connected to the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, are suddenly in vogue.

First, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Mr. Carter's national security adviser, threw his support behind Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, praising his foreign policy vision in an interview last week on Bloomberg Television. Then Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Democrat of Delaware, announced that he had been endorsed by Jack Carter, Mr. Carter's son, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in Nevada last fall. Mr. Biden said the endorsement would help him in Iowa, ''where the Carter name is revered.''

A spokeswoman for Jimmy Carter said he had not made any endorsements in the Democratic primary. MICHAEL COOPER